Climate Guardian Angels on Minister for the Environment’s rooftop protesting his approval of the Carmichael coal mine

A host of Climate Guardian Angels have descended on the rooftop of Minister Greg Hunt’s office in Hastings, and are refusing to get down until he revokes his approval of the Carmichael coal mine.

What: A protest/sit in

When: 11am, Friday 16th October

Where: 184 Salmon St, Hastings Victoria.

A host of Climate Guardian Angels have descended on Minister for the Environment’s rooftop to protest his approval of the Carmichael coal mine.

The project, proposed by Indian mining giant Adani will produce up to 60 million tonnes of coal for export a year, transported through the Abbot Point terminals which are located close to the Great Barrier Reef.

As climate scientists are finding new evidence of accelerated global warming with methane plumes erupting from seabeds, and new modeling on ‘unstoppable’ Arctic sea ice melt with 30-100 cm seal level rises by 2100, this approval of this mine is grossly negligent towards future generations and their intergenerational right to a safe and just climate.

The Carmichael mine has been declared ‘unbankable’ by the Queensland treasury, as the price of thermal coal slips to beneath $60 a tonne, widely considered in structural decline as the world moves towards renewable energy sources to combat the worst impacts of runaway climate change. 14 major global banks have refused to fund it.

As the warmest year on record draws to a close, and in the lead up to the UN COP21 climate talks, the decision by the Australian government to further lock our economy into dirty polluting fossil fuels makes a mockery of the pitiful commitment we have made of a 26% cut in emission on 2005 levels by 2030.

Climate Guardian co-convener Dr Liz Conor said, ‘to be actively expanding Australia’s coal export industry now is beyond irresponsible; it is staggeringly negligent. It will consign our children and theirs to a volatile, dangerous climate system, with far reaching repercussions for their lives. If Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his Environment Minister Greg Hunt will not listen to the science on climate change — before leaders from the international community — we entreat them to heed the warnings of Guardian Angels.

The Climate Guardians are travelling to Paris to hand deliver letters and artworks by Australian children to UN delegates since their own government is indifferent to their fears about their future in a volatile climate.